


One Way Or Another

by fadedink



Series: Days of Christmas - 2011 [11]
Category: X-Men: First Class - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-11
Updated: 2011-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-27 05:18:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedink/pseuds/fadedink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's who they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Way Or Another

**Author's Note:**

> The 'eleventh day of Christmas' for [](http://dreambastion.livejournal.com/profile)[**dreambastion**](http://dreambastion.livejournal.com/), because she asked nicely. And she gave me a damn good prompt. :)

The world is frozen around them, still and silent. Erik just stands there for a moment, studying the people paused in mid-move. Then his gaze flicks across the room. "Charles."

"Erik," comes the soft, quiet reply, and Charles nods in greeting.

"You knew it would come to this," Erik says, still focused on Charles, sitting there so calm in that damn chair.

"I suspected," Charles admits. His mild manner sends a shiver of rage through Erik.

"You knew," he insists. He spares another look for the chaos that surrounds them. X-Men and his Brotherhood, mutants all, still frozen until Charles releases them. Then he focuses of Charles once more. "It will always come to this, to us."

"Fitting, though, isn't it? After all," Charles says, with a small gesture to the other mutants in the room, "we started it together."

"So this is the end, then?" Erik allows himself a small smile at the idea.

"It doesn't have to be." Charles' hands curls over the ends of the armrests, and he leans forward just a little. His gaze is sharp, intent on Erik, and Erik knows what Charles wants to hear.

"You know better, Charles," Erik says, and shakes his head. "This is who we are. We were born for this, you just refuse to see it."

"Born to fight each other?" Charles shakes his head, one hand making an aborted gesture. "No, I refuse to believe that."

"No, to fuck each other," Erik clarifies, finally moving until he's standing in front of Charles, looking down at him. "One way or another. And since you still won't take my hand and stand at my side..."

Charles smiles, tilts his head, and lifts a hand towards Erik. "That goes both ways, my friend," he says. "The only thing stopping you is...you."

"Still trying to be the better man," Erik laughs, "when we already are. One day, you'll understand."

"Perhaps," Charles allows, hand dropping back to his lap. "And perhaps, one day, we'll grow tired of this fight."

Erik just smiles and steps back. He knows that, short of the grave, they will never be finished with each, never be able to move on...never be able to give up trying to convince the other. It's who they are.


End file.
